rule on length of load on roof

londonTiger

Hi. I need to buy some timber for DIY, found a good timber merchant who supplies wood for very reasonable prices.

But because they're predominantly trade they come in at 3-4 meter lengths. Sometimes even 5 meters.

I'd like to buy them, can probably carry it on the roof but it would stick out the front and back of the vehicle quite a bit. So was wondering what the law is on roof loads that hang out beyond the length of the car.

I think the car is about 3-3.25 meters long. I have carried 2.7m fence posts without problems.

RichardD1970

http://assets.highways.gov.uk/specialist-information/abnormal-loads-industry-guidelines/A_brief_guide_to_overhanging_loads.pdf

Google is a wonderful thing

stef73

http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=load%20overhang%20limits%20uk&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CB0QFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fassets.highways.gov.uk%2Fspecialist-information%2Fabnormal-loads-industry-guidelines%2FA_brief_guide_to_overhanging_loads.pdf&ei=NYYbVf3_H4PPaK-kgKgF&usg=AFQjCNGbhTgwd1bNfejtt21nM5BzS0aqSg&bvm=bv.89744112,d.ZGU

Norman_Castle

maninthestreet

Norman_Castle wrote: »

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

AdrianC

londonTiger wrote: »

I think the car is about 3-3.25 meters long.

That's very, very small. A Toyota iQ or a "proper" mini is 3m long, and a Smart is about the only car shorter than that. Even a C107go is 3.5m long. A current Corsa is north of 4m.

Spicy_McHaggis

AdrianC wrote: »

That's very, very small. A Toyota iQ or a "proper" mini is 3m long, and a Smart is about the only car shorter than that. Even a C107go is 3.5m long. A current Corsa is north of 4m.

Exactly, a golf is about 4.2m.

londonTiger

hmm. it's a mk4 golf. So I don't know. It looks smaller than it is probably. All I know is that I got a 2.7m fence post a while back, the the post was flush with the rear of the vehicle, and it overhung at the front around the bottom of the windscreen.

Retrogamer

Overhanging the front of the roof is fine. That doesn't count as far as i know.
It's only when it overhangs the actual body of the vehicle.

Spicy_McHaggis

How hard is it to measure the lenght of the car to find out?

If you can't do that you're going to struggle when it comes to the woodwork.

AdrianC

londonTiger wrote: »

hmm. it's a mk4 golf. So I don't know. It looks smaller than it is probably.

4.2m
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volkswagen_Golf_Mk4

All I know is that I got a 2.7m fence post a while back, the the post was flush with the rear of the vehicle, and it overhung at the front around the bottom of the windscreen.

So it wasn't overhanging the vehicle?